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Department of Defense Plan to Meet Joint Requirements Oversight Council Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements

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Department of Defense Plan to Meet Joint Requirements Oversight Council Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements United States Air Force Report to Congressional Committees Department of Defense Plan to Meet Joint Requirements Oversight Council Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements August 2016 The estimated cost of this report or study for the Department of Defense is approximately $9,400 for the 2016 Fiscal Year. This includes $0 in expenses and $9,400 in DoD labor. Public Law 113-291 Section 1612 DoD Plan to Meet JROC Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements August 2016 U.S. Air Force Page 2 of 21 DoD Plan to Meet JROC Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements Introduction This report is provided to the congressional defense committees as directed in Section 1612a of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2015. SEC. 1612. LIMITATIONS ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR WEATHER SATELLITE FOLLOW-ON SYSTEM AND DEFENSE METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE PROGRAM. (a) WEATHER SATELLITE FOLLOW-ON SYSTEM.— (1) LIMITATION.—Of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2015 for research, development, test, and evaluation, Air Force, for the weather satellite follow-on system, not more than 50 percent may be obligated or expended until the date on which the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees the plan under paragraph (2). (2) PLAN REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop a plan to meet the meteorological and oceanographic collection requirements of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, including the requirements of the combatant commands, the military departments, and the Defense Agencies (as defined in section 101(a)(11) of title 10, United States Code). The plan shall include the following: (A) How the Secretary will use existing assets of the defense meteorological satellite program, including an identification of the extent to which requirements can be addressed by the Defense Meteorological Satellite program. (B) How the Secretary will use other sources of data, such as civil, commercial satellite weather data, and international partnerships, to meet such requirements, and the extent to which requirements can be addressed by such sources of data. (C) An explanation of the relevant risks, costs, and schedule. (D) The requirements of the weather satellite follow-on system. August 2016 U.S. Air Force Page 3 of 21 DoD Plan to Meet JROC Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements Executive Summary In September 2014, the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) identified and prioritized 12 satellite-based weather observing (space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM)) sensing requirements and directed the Department of Defense (DoD) to develop a strategy to address them. The DoD-developed strategy relies on a combination of civil, international, and military assets to meet these requirements. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) has been the primary US military program providing SBEM data since the 1960s. The DoD will continue to operate the constellation until it reaches end of mission life, projected to be in 2021. The DoD’s materiel contribution to the family of SBEM systems will address three requirements gaps (Ocean Surface Vector Winds, Tropical Cyclone Intensity, and Energetic Charged Particles). This program of record is referred to as the Weather System Follow-on (WSF). The remaining gaps will be addressed by space and ground-based capabilities provided by civil and international partners. The Air Force strategy for addressing near-term Indian Ocean coverage utilizes a three-pronged approach. The first prong is a focused effort through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Commerce (DoC) to engage internationally and fully exploit partner capability data. Secondly, DoD is working with NOAA to explore options to move a NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) to address cloud characterization and theater weather imagery over the Indian Ocean. Thirdly, the Air Force is exploring materiel solutions to address the cloud characterization and theater weather imagery gaps. In May 2016, the JROC endorsed this strategy and requested an update based on the recent loss of the ability to command DMSP- 19. This update will be given to the JROC in September 2016. Report (A) How the Secretary will use existing assets of the defense meteorological satellite program, including an identification of the extent to which requirements can be addressed by the Defense Meteorological Satellite program. Figure 1 provides a high-level depiction of the DoD SBEM architecture that includes both DoD owned/operated satellites as well as civil and international data sources. The assets of the DoD’s meteorological satellite program include the DMSP and the WindSat payload onboard the Coriolis satellite. WindSat is operated by the U.S. Navy and is not part of the DMSP program of record. August 2016 U.S. Air Force Page 4 of 21 DoD Plan to Meet JROC Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements Figure 1. DoD SBEM Architecture In September 2014, the JROC identified and prioritized 12 satellite-based weather 557th WW - 557th Weather Wing AFSCN - Air Force Satellite Control Network COWVR - Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (ORS-6 payload) EUMETSAT - European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites FNMOC - Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center GOES - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JSPOC - Joint Space Operations Center MMSOC - Multi-Mission Satellite Operations Center MSG - Meteosat Second Generation Satellite MW - Microwave NAVO - Naval Oceanographic Office NESDIS - National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration S-NPP - Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership August 2016 U.S. Air Force Page 5 of 21 DoD Plan to Meet JROC Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements In September 2014, the JROC identified and prioritized 12 satellite-based weather observing SBEM sensing requirements. These gaps are a subset of a larger number of space- based environmental monitoring gaps. This subset is comprised of the 12 parameters that if insufficiently met by space and ground-based systems may potentially lead to mission failure.i The overall approach to addressing SBEM gaps emphasizes addressing 11 of the 12 gaps specified in the JROCM 092-14. (The JROC determined auroral characterization is adequately addressed by a network of ground-based sensors.) Of the 12 prioritized SBEM data collection gaps validated and prioritized in JROCM 092-14, “Review of Space-Based Environmental Monitoring Analysis of Alternatives Final Report Results” (dated September 3, 2014), DMSP cannot fully address any of them alone. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) The DMSP was initiated in 1961, and the first satellite launched in 1962. Each DMSP satellite operates in a 101-minute, sun-synchronous near-polar orbit at an altitude of 830 kilometers (km) above the surface of the earth. The DoD operates the DMSP in an early morning orbit – a mission requirement codified in the 2010 National Space Policyii, and it supports all DoD and U.S. intelligence community (IC) missions. The current block, 5D-3, has seven sensorsiii. These sensors can be grouped into three broad categories: visible and infrared imagery, microwave imager and sounder, and space weather. The primary mission sensor is the Operational Linescan System (OLS) which contributes to addressing SBEM gaps in cloud characterization and theater weather imagery. The DMSP collects global visible and infrared cloud cover imagery and other critical air, land, sea, and space environmental data and disseminates it to DoD operational units and the IC. DMSP data are also furnished to U.S. civil agencies and to international allies through the Department of Commerce (DoC). DMSP produces visible and infrared cloud images and night-time lights (OLS); sea ice concentration, sea surface wind speed, temperature and moisture profiles (microwave imager and sounder); auroral boundaries (space weather sensors and OLS); and other useful data and products. Of the DMSP satellites on orbit, two (DMSP-17 and -18) are fully mission capable – each has a fully functional OLS (primary mission sensor) and two independent recording devices. The recorded (stored) data are transmitted to a number of ground stations for dissemination to the DoD Weather Centrals (557th Weather Wing (557 WW); Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC); and Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO)). The remaining satellites – DMSP-14, -15, -16 and -19 – are partially mission capable and provide data at varying degrees of degraded capability. The DoD intends to operate on-orbit DMSP satellites until the constellation reaches end of mission life. DMSP projected end of mission life, based on historical performance: DMSP-14: November 2016 DMSP -16: July 2018 DMSP -18: May 2021 DMSP -15: June 2017 DMSP -17: October 2019 DMSP -19: Unknown August 2016 U.S. Air Force Page 6 of 21 DoD Plan to Meet JROC Meteorological and Oceanographic Collection Requirements Table 1 provides information on the status of the missions supported by DMSP. The “Strategic Mission” aids the IC in its mission to support the combatant commanders, as well as other missions; the “Tactical Mission” provides direct read-out to deployed forces as the satellite flies overhead; and the “Space Environment Mission”
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